What Was Once Lost
by Different Dimension Demon
Summary: Re-post of a story my beta Shroudy saw missing off list; Shouldered with a burden he never asked for and abandoned by his blood Naruto Uzumaki grew up under hateful eyes. So entrenched by the irrational hate and misplaced anger of others he has become warped & twisted. With a darkness in his heart and rage in his veins the world better prepare itself for the unleashing of a demon.
1. Chapter 1

Blood. Corpses. The stench of death hung in the air like a heavy mist as a solitary figure stood atop the compound walls looking down on their handiwork. Between the bodies so mangled and twisted that it was near impossible to tell what limb belonged fo whon there was one figure curled up in a fetal position. They were crying and pleading with the corpse of a dead woman to wake up.

"Wake up!" the boy screamed shaking the corpse that stared sightlessly at the moonless sky.

"Mission accomplished." Two words and the figure on the compound walls vanished without a trace. Even if the boy caught sight of him the boy would not remember more than a nightmare. His mask was decorated in a fashion to be so grptesquely demonic it would only leave nightmares and the memory alteration seals carved into the exterior would make it so the boy saw an enemy ninia from a different village murder his clan. Reappearing in the Hokages office the person went to a knee. "The deed is done Hokage-sama per your orders" the man said with an empty tone of voice.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, The Professor and longest reigning Hokage in Konohas history, grimaced turning his chair to look upon the kneeling figure. Unlike his regular this young man was special in ways he had always wished that he wasn't. "Remove your mask Chimera" he ordered steepling his fingers. The young man did so and before his very eyes the young man was replaced by a vision of a nine year old boy soaked head to toe, save for his hair, in blood with a blank expression on his face. Blue eyes that should be full of life and laughter looked at him with cold soul piercing emptiness. "Report."

"The intel we had received was right and with such unfornate matters I was forced to conduct the slaughter you had every hope of avoiding. There is one survivor besides Crow, his younger brother Sasuke. The boy knew nothing of the plans for the coup. When I left he was a mess crying, shaking and pleading with his mothers lifeless body to wake up" the young boy said without batting an eye or changing his tone of voice. "He will require trauma conseling without a doubt and this will certainly warp his personality but for the sake of the village the diseased limbs must be removed before the sickness spreads. I was unseen by any soul but the victims before they died."

Hiruzen grimace darkened immensely at the report given to him. He had tried every conceivable way to head off the unrest of the Uchiba clan but nothing had worked. Sending Chimera to see just how bad things had become and report that the genocide was neccesary was unsettling. "You were humane in the executions I hope" he said. The 'for the childrenc went unspoken and he knew the boy understood what wasn't being said.

'Of the children and womenn yes. Their deaths were quick and humane but the men put a fight and as such were not quite as humane as you would have liked. The traitors were dealt with as per your orders and the village laws dictate." The young boy pulled a blood stained scroll and stood offering it to the older shinobi. "This scroll contains some damaging information you may find useful to finally have your former teammate Danzo arrested and executed for Treason. It was seized off the corpse of the former Uchiha Clan head Fugaku Uchiha."

Hiruzen took the scroll and unravelled it beginning to scan its contents. His eyes widened immensely and narrowed in rage at the same time. In it was a summary of a plan, in Danzos handwriting no less, to have the Uchiha Clan men overthrow him from the Hokage seat aided by ROOT ANBU. Once he was successfully ousted from the Hokage chair Danzo would pay the Uchiha Clan straight out of the village coffers under a false label of an 'experimental ninjutsu test facility' to be built and overseen by Uchiha overseers. "Bring me Danzo Shimura now. Dead or alive, preferably alive so he may amswer for his crimes" the Sandaime said with a hiss. "Not you Chimera."

The young boy, already having redawned his mask and the illusion of the young man back in place, looked questioningly at the Sandaime as the other ANBU in the room vanished. "Do you require more of me Hokage-sama? Danzo is not a man to be taken easily" he said fingering the hilt of his sae toothed katana.

"I have a new assignment for you come dawn forward" Hiruzen said with grim seriousness in his voice. "The Academy begins in one weeks time and I need an internal set of eyes to keep an sye on the clan heirs entering. With your true age it won't be suspicious to anyone."

"I am a killer. I am a thief. An interrogator. I sow death with a wave of my hand and you wish me to play babysitter to a bunch of...children" the boy said tone breaking with a microseconds worth of disgust creeping in.

"It is not a matter of want but need. In but a handful of years time, four years to be precise, the Chunin Exams will be held here in the village." Hiruzen held up a hand stopping the comments he knew was coming. "I know that will be the same year this group graduates and clan heirs will be pushed by their respective families to compete. At most they will all have six months real experience under their belts, you being the obvious exception, and no real context to understsnd what real combat is like. I need you to keep an eye on them. This will be marked a long term A-rank infiltration and recon mission."

The boys hands clenched slightly with a near invisible tremor. "My patience threshold for incompetence and ueselessness is non-existent Hokage-sama. You are sending me into a den of it for four years. Someone is bound to die or be injured by me during the window of time. You so realize this correct?" he askee evenly.

"I am fully aware of that Chimera and have preppare accordingly. Hence when the Academy is not in session on holiday breaks and the weekends I will be allowing you the freedom to continue doing missions to reign in that bloodlust of yours" Hiruzen said measuring his words carefully.

For a moment the boy did not move or speak weighing the Sandaimes words. "My rank and file, what will become of them?" he asked.

"They are already classified as all ANBU agents are. A new file will be made to appear to reflect your work in the Academy and as you get promoted after you 'graduate'. Your true file and rank will remain intact and the only one to truly matter, its only change will reflect the missions you do from genin up since you will havs just been 'integrated in full' meaning your ANBU missions will continue to be added so your A to S and above rank missions will always outweigh the lower ranks ones but they will be added to your mission record tally" Hiruzen said.

A frown marred the boys lips under his mask. His lowest rank mission on his file was a single B-rank assassination, his fitst ever ANBU mission at age seven, and now because of this his mission record would marred bug multitudes of mindless labor jobs known as D & C-ranks. He could try to fight the Sandaime on finding one of the other early recruits, he was hardly the first, but something told him he would not have a choice in the matter. "Whether I want to or not you are making me do this aren't you Hokage-sama" he said rhetorically already feeling the answer in his bones.

"Its not a matter of want Chimera. Those kids will need a fighting chance and you are one of the best I have to offer for the job. The only other option is Mayuri and we both know she is more likely to use the kids for human experimentation for her poisons without their knowing of consent" Hiruzen said with a grave look in his eyes. "You have been trained linger then she has and have the restraint built in more fastidiously than she does. You are truly one of our best only second to Crow but this is of village wide importance so I must make you Chimera."

"Your will be done Hokage-sama. I shall set my affairs and speak to Neko-taichou to tell her I have been assigned to a mission assigned by your hand personally" the boy said bowing his head.

"Your mask Chimera" Hiruzen said pointing to his desk. "You will have it back but I cannot allow you to keep possession lest an unknowing circumstance reveal who and what you truly are."

The mask was removed revealing the boy once. "As you command Hokage-sama." After gently placing the porcelain mask the young boy disappeared in a moment like he had never been there to begin with.

Hiruzen took the mask and slid it into a drawer locking it with a blood seal before his eyes looked to the shinobi profile before him. Flipping it open he was met first with the image of a young boy no plder than nine decked out in clean ANBU armor with half his face hidden by a mask decorated in such a way deserving of his codename Chimera. Blonde hair fell to just under his ears against pale tan flesh. One glacier cold unfeeling blue eye glared at the photo taker as half a scowl was visible. Three whisker like marks marred the visible cheek.

Under the picture was the shinobi information that made Hiruzen feel ke he was aging ten years with every line stamped like an execution.

 **Name: Naruto; clan name abolished willingly for being abandoned by the Uzumaki**

 **Age: nine years**

 **Gender: male.**

 **Eye color: heartless blue**

 **Kin: Father-Minato Namikaze(Deceased) Mother- Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze(location unknown after her abandoment of Naruto due to sealing of Kyuubi into him)**

Each line detailing pieces of information that painted more and more blood on his hands. By the time he reached the final page he wasn't seeing the papers anymore, with the amount of times he read it in sorrow he had it memorized cover to cover. Nine years old and already ANBU. It was not the life he knew Minato had wanted for his only son but it hadn't matter because of the masked man appearing when Kushina went into labor and used the Sharingan to rip the Kyuubi out of her. Minaton being the sitting Hokage at the time that nearly a decade ago, had been forced to seal the demon away for the safety of the village and the only capable of hold it was his newborn son. While the sealing a success it had cost Minato his life.

"Unhand me this instant! I am the Sandaimes teammate and advisor! You will obey me!"

Hiruzen was ripped from his sorrow colored thoughts and hid the file in a seal on his person before Danzo was shoved into his office in chakra binding cuffs. "I was given a very interesting scroll Danzo and I thought you might like to explain a few things to me" he said with a stony expression.

Across the village many of the shinobi awoke to the distinct of 'schink' of metal rending flesh reaching their ears.

Inside ANBU headquarters the young boy ignored the sound as the crazed rumblings of his demonic tenant tried to persuade him to let the beast go. These too went ignored as his sole possessions kept in the barracks, a barracks solitary pillow and blanket, were returned to the supply depot. They were never used since he would always go on a mission, train and be off not even in the village long enough to have a quick meal as he left on another mission. "Neko-taichou, a moment of your time if I could."

The cat masked kunoichi looked up to find the prodigal operative staring at her from the entrance to her office. "Something you need Chimera?" she asked.

"Hokage-sama has assigned me a long term A-rank infiltration and recon mission to keep an eye on the clan heirs beginning their education at the Academy in one weeks time. He has stated I am best to handle such a task. You needed to be informed so I am here" the boy stated matter of factly. "Until such a time that the mission is over I will not be avaible for missions if the Academy is in session as such off of operarional readiness for major missions. Hokage-sama has greenlighted mission operarional status for all times when the Academy is not in session. Such schedules shall be provided for you as soon as they are available to me."

Neko scowled behind her mask crossing her arms. Chimera was one of the heavy hitters kn her squad she needed but if the Sanadaime deemed Chimera the best fit she could not refute her Lords order. "What of your mission tonight?" she asked.

"Contradictory to the lunar calender saying tonight being a moonless sky, it was a blood moon" the boy said before bowing at the waist knowing Neko would understand. "I will leave you to return to your paperworm taichou." The boy disappeared in the same silent fashion as he had from the Sanadaimes office as he noted Nekos fist clench on the desk.


	2. First impressions and curious cases

If there was a list of things that Naruto hated, it was a short list that could be broken down into three simple overarching categories: idiocy, incompetency and bigots; if there was anything he hated more than those three combined, it was the blind inhabitants of Konoha. Even though he walked stiffly with purpose, putting up a false air of 'nervousness' as ordered by the Sandaime so to make himself less conspicuous, he could feel their hate filled glares aimed at him. Not that they had any bearing on him, because they really didn't. Signing into the Academy, he made his way to the gymnasium for orientation and when it got underway he was bored to tears inside his mind as the teachers introduced themselves & their areas of expertise that they would be imparting over the next four years.

A silent snort escaped him knowing he could replace all the pitiful chunin and be a hundred times more effective on his own. A lot of the student body would be kicked out failing to meet his ungodly expectations, but for those who passed, they would be damn near unstoppable facing an opponent of equal skill and be able to give more than fair fight to a more skilled opponent. One thought that passed through his mind made a cruel upturn his lips as his eyes roved over the obvious civilian born kids. They wouldn't make it out of his theoretical pre-exam to make sure they were up to snuff with being able to process the volume of info that would hit them so quickly. With mission details and orders in the worst scenarios coming rapid fire they would need to take massive amounts of information in ridiculously short amounts of time and comprehend it fully. Even if some did somehow manage to get through the theoretical and the initial onslauht of theory, they'd definitely wash out on the first day of physical bouts. He would push them til they puked up blood from working their bodies that traumatically and that was just the warm-ups!

"In conclusion..."

Naruto focused, pondering how much he had blocked out for the long line of teachers to be done introducing themselves, their courses and the school principal's speech was winding down. It didn't matter really, not for him. Polite applause was given as homeroom groups were read off and teachers led off their named students. Like the Sandaimes word, Naruto was in the class with the clan heirs and heiresses including the boy who had been a wreck clutching & crying over his mother's corpse pleading for her to wake, though something was wrong. Though he could not finger it precisely, and it irked him incredibly so to no be able to do that, there was something there, now that the close proximity allowed for close up examination of the clan children.

"As you all heard me say in the gym, my name is Iruka Umino and I will be your main instructor for the next four years here in the academy. It is my hope that you all learn a lot and upon graduation into the village forces that you become exemplary stars to showcase the new generation of talent from our great village. Lets start this first day off with introducing yourselves to your classmates" the tan skinned chunin said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Ano sensei... What do you want to us to say exactly?" a civilian born kid.

"Say as much as little or as much as you are comfortable sharing, but lets say tell everyone your name and what made you want to become a ninja for the village in the first place at the very least" Iruka said. "Why don't we start with the front row and work our way back."

It was painfully clear to Naruto that a lot of the clan kids had no true reason of their own for joining the academy. They had done it because it was expected of them. It was sad really, so much wasted potential because of a lack of ambition. Some of the kids seemed to be intimately familiar already, the children of the Ino-Shika-Cho argued like they'd known each other their whole lives, while some of the kids like the Nara and Aburame clan heirs seemed to be as critically sizing everyone up in their own way like him. Some of the kids looked to be nervous wrecks like the Hyuuga heiress and the disappointments of the group, commonly known as fangirls, were busy fawning over the tragic story of the Uchiha heir after he made mention of wanting to grow strong enough to avenge his slain clan members who were murdered by a Kumo ninja. Naruto snorted at that internal thought. Was that what the seals altered Sasuke's memories to believe was true, that his family was slaughtered by ninja from Kumo?

"Last but not least, you, blonde kid in the back. Your turn."

Naruto scowled at the descriptor and had to resist setting the chunin ablaze with a seal-less fire jutsu. "My name is Naruto, just Naruto. My reasons are my own and that is all there is needed to be said on the subject" he said with a grim glare.

From their seats the Nara, Uchiha and Aburame heirs looked up in curiosity as one. Everyone else made some bare bones reason about why they wanted to be Leaf ninja but this Naruto kid made no qualms about essentially saying eat your problems, my reasons aren't worth you knowing. The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes as he dared their chunin sensei to challenge him had this coldness that made the temperature drop in the room

"We are all friends in here and-"

"No, we are not. We are here under a single banner because of a common desire or forced reason. That does not and will not be a basis for being 'friends'. Quite frankly, I call into question the very legitimacy of sending Princess Scared over there," Naruto pointed heartlessly at Hinata who flinched, "who jumps at the first hint of a harsh word and seems to fear her own shadow. As she stands right now she has more value as a show pony to be pampered and spoiled til she is old enough to be breeding material. Send a wimp like that onto the battlefield and, Hyuuga or not, she is a more of a liability than an asset that will get her squadmates killed just so she can be abducted by the enemy. Just like Kumo tried to do so years ago, only this time the pathetic princess will become an enemies breeding bitch raped for all her worth as unmarked Main Branch Hyuuga and generations of foreign Hyuugas will then be attacking us as a result."

By the end of the first week, Naruto saw a lot happen that it took two scrolls to detail it all. He was a pariah, but instead of it being because he was the 'Demon Brat' that parents told their kids to stay from, it was his harsh cruel dose of reality that he spit out at every turn. Every time he was asked a question, be it from a teacher or another student, he gave the harshest bluntest answer available. "They want to be ninja, then they need to have the dark cold truth beat into their faces." he muttered detailing the final notes of his first report.

He applied a special seal to the face of the scrolls before they went up in flame as he laid back on the bed. The Sandaime would get them in moments and as the only one with the unlocking seal his report was in safe hands. His mind ignored the ramblings of the Kyuubi as he went over the main contents of the report and frowned thoughtfully. His suspicions about the clan children were right on the money about most them being familiar with each other if not friends outright and seemingly possessing an intellectual groundwork of what made their clans fearsome, all of them save Hinata Hyuuga who was horrible stuttering spineless worm of a false kunoichi.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio interacted in a brash manner that said unlike the last generation where the center of the team was then clan heir Nara Shikaku, this generation it was clan heiress Yamanaka Ino. While it wasn't a bad thing to have a Yamanaka with dominance to lead the trio, it was bad because the Yamanaka in question question was a squealing diet minded fangirl that disgraced every other kunoichi there was and would be since it was clear she had more on her appearance than her training. The Nara, Shikamaru, possessed the male trademark laziness but his eyes betrayed the same genius intellect that made the shadow killers feared. Rounding out the trio, and barely better than the Yamanaka, was the Akimichi heir, Choji, who never stopped eating. Of course with his clans bloodline and jutsus requiring massive amounts of calories to expend for techniques like their limb enlarging Multi-size Technique, it was expected he would need to eat a lot but on several occasions he spotted his clan members, presumably his parents, scolding for eating enough to fight a battle when he wasn't set to earnestly begin the clan taijutsu training until next year.

The Aburame and Uchiha heirs were next to impossible to read, the Aburame boy Shino hid his face behind the Aburame coat & glasses and Uchiha Sasuke kept everyone miles away from herself socially. Yes, her. It was a mild surprise when he had been leaving the academy and Sasuke was complaining 'my chest bindings hurt' to Itachi. This drew his attention and he hid within a shadow using a technique of his own design that he was sure would make most Naras green with envy to spy on the conversation. When Itachi flicked Sasuke on the head calling her 'foolish imouto' before shunshining them back to the Uchiha compound, Naruto had been frowning deep in thought. An heiress hiding in plain sight as a boy? The only way it made sense was if Uchiha Fugaku had forced his daughter to dress and act like a boy because he couldn't accept not having a male heir to succeed him since Itachi was serving in ANBU at the time and thus put his first born out of the running for clan head succession.

"Naruto-kun."

"Respectfully go away Wolf-taichou, I'm on assignment." Naruto said without looking away from the spot on the ceiling he had been staring at. He didn't need to since the truth of his identity was limited to a handful of people and the voice that used his name, a female voice he knew too well, gave away who it was.

The woman frowned to herself stepping out of a shadow. The wolf masked kunoichi, publicly known as Arisa Nara-Ginase, wife of the ANBU Supreme Commander and his second in command, removed her mask and looked to the nine year old laid out on the bed looking decades older than his physical age. "I am aware of that fact. I am also aware of the fact you have been given the mission ready status for times when the academy is not in session to keep you from maiming or murdering your 'classmates'. Moments like this one." Arisa said as her eyes, normally a warm green, became frosty jade slates.

"Yes, I have been given mission ready status, but frankly taichou I find myself in a more curious mindset than bloodthirsty. I do not require a mission to reign in my desires." Naruto said bluntly still not looking at the kunoichi.

Arisa blinked slowly and had to clean her ear out as her mind processed what she just heard. Naruto not needing a mission to keep a level head? This had to be a dream. Or a nightmare. "Curious about what?" she asked with carefully measured words.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Contradictory to records," Naruto turned his head and looked to the armor clad woman for the first time with his normal blank expression though the tiniest trace of curiosity, so tiny you had to squint to see it, was visible, "all is not as it appears." he said simply before looking back to the ceiling.

"What do you mean by that exactly? You're not making any sense." Arisa said, taking a few steps closer to the bed though she maintained a respectable distance. Chimera, or as she often used Naruto's real name in private to try reminding the boy he was more than his codename, was well known for his cruelty of lashing out when his bubble of personal space was invaded and it didn't matter who you were. If you invaded his bubble you were in for a fight that may or may not cripple you and your rank or position would NOT save you.

"Sasuke Uchiha does not exist. The male Uchiha heir that was the second son of Uchiha Fugaku is a lie. I was leaving the academy and Sasuke, thinking 'he' was alone with Itachi complained about how 'his' chest bindings hurt. Itachi looked around to make sure no one heard, flicked Sasuke on the head calling his 'younger brother' foolish imouto before shunshining them away quickly to what I can only assume was their clan compound" Naruto said crossing one leg over the other at the knee. "It explains a lot doesn't it, taichou? The inconsistencies and hesitations that came when it involved spying on the coup involved Uchiha talking about making sure 'The Princess' would start the dynasty. No one could understand who this 'Princess' was... Now we know."

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking... Are you?" Arisa asked with a dull tone and narrowed eyes.

"Depends on what you think I'm thinking, taichou. I am but a simple agent doing my mission and making the most of information I have come across."

"Don't be patronizing with me, Chimera" Arisa said with a harsh look. "You're going to manipulate her."

Naruto gave a heartless cruel smirk as his head towards Arisa. "Now what would ever give you such an idea like that? Who do you think I am, Danzo Shimura?" he asked. "If I wanted to manipulate her I wouldn't tell you taichou since you would be forced to report it to your husband who would then have to report it to Sandaime-sama." The smirk fell as he turned his gaze past Arisa to the window. "Hypothetically and theoretically speaking, if anyone should manipulate her it would best be one of us. A man like Danzo would scheme til the cows came home about how quickly he could get a female Uchiha as breeding stock. He would do everything in his power to make her a mindless slave to his warmongering will. Choose your evil, taichou, a second entity like Danzo and his war on the other elemental countries or someone like us loyal to the Sandaime and Konoha keeping the peace ushering the future of the Uchiha in under a watchful eye."

Arisa scowled darkly, not liking either. "Neither option is in line with the Will of Fire." she said crossing her arms across her chest.

"No, they aren't but the latter hypothetical is a better outcome than a man like Danzo getting his mitts on the Uchiha heiress. If one like him gets his hands on her, he controls the future of the Sharingan. If he gains control of the Sharingan's future, we will not be able to control the damage it deals to the rest of the world" Naruto said closing his eyes. "So, I ponder right now and I will wait. Itachi has been able to curb the violent anger that came with the trauma of coming across the mess of bodies in the clan compound, somewhat. If I have to take action to intervene, then I will and though he loathes the idea, Itachi has said he will not interfere."

Arisa said nothing as she placed her mask back on. "We never had conversation Chimera and I was never here." she said grimly.

"Of course not." Naruto waved his hand dismissively not bothering to open his eyes. "I'm a 'Demon Brat' talking to my imaginary friend."


End file.
